Hazelight Founder Vows to Keep Company Private

Josef Fares, Hazelight's CEO and founder, has reaffirmed his commitment to keeping the company private, citing the need to prioritize creative decisions over financial considerations. In an interview, Fares expressed his reluctance to take Hazelight public, stating that doing so would require making decisions that compromise the company's artistic vision in favor of boosting stock prices. He believes that this approach would lead to 'stupid decisions' that ultimately harm the quality of the games. Instead, Fares advocates for a balanced approach that combines creative and commercial aspects, as exemplified by the company's innovative Friend Pass feature. This approach, he argues, allows Hazelight to focus on developing games that are both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, without being driven by market trends or shareholder expectations. Fares also warned against the potential risks of the industry becoming too focused on mid-tier titles, emphasizing the importance of diversity in game development and the need for both AAA and indie games to coexist.